Tabulating-machine.



E. HOLLERiTH.

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR l, 1912.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

3 ,SHEIITS-SHBET 1.

alto Lucy H. HOLLERITH.

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED APILI, 1912.

1,087,061 Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. HOLLBRITH.

TABULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1912.

I Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Application med April 1', 1912. semi m. 687,844.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN HOLLERITH, of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements in Tabulating-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

The Hollerith tabulating system, as is well known, employs a record-card having index-points, preferably punched holes, which are located on each particular recordcard in accordance with the data-which that card represents. The system comprises, among other things, apparatus for register- 'ing the items constituting the record formed on each record-card and totalizing or integrating the items of any ,one or more columns of the record-cards, and also apparatus for sorting or classifying the recordcards into difierent series.

Frequently it is desirable to totalize or integrate a particular record represented by a series of record-cards. For instance, after the record-cards have been sorted or classified according to a particular class,'it is desired to totalize the record represented by the index-point positions in a corresponding group of all the classified record-cards. To

be more specific, let it be assumed that all the record-cards belonging to a specific account have been sorted or classifiedv according to say the account number as-represented by the index-point positions in the account group, and that it is desired to totalize the record indicated by the indexpoint positions in the amount group of a series of record-cards belonging to the selected account. The apparatus will include at least two record-actuated registers, one being controlled by the index-point positions of the account group (which is the same on all the cards) and'the other by the index-point positions of the famount group, the record of which will be totalized or integrated as all the cards of that particular account are passed through the apparatus.

In some instances it is desired 'to place at one time in the apparatus several different series of sorted or classified record-cards, and to separately integrate the record as represented by thev index-point positions of a particulargroup of all the record-cards of each series- In other words, in the illustration :given, it may be desired to separately totahze the records of the amount group of each of a series of difierent accounts, in

which event the register controlled by the record of-the account group should be actuated only "as a new account group is brought into control.

The object of my present invention is to automatically prevent one 'of a series of I registers from being actuated by a second series of record-cards until all the registers have been returned to zero.

Electricity is the agent preferably. em-

ployed for effecting the control or operation of the apparatus but it is not my intention to restrict'my invention to the employment of that particular operating or controlling agent since other equivalent means may be employed instead of an electric circuit or circuits and electrically operated devices hereinafter described; but I consider electricity to be the most advantageous agent and have therefore selected, for the purpose of description, an electrically operated apparatus, and in this connection it is to be understood that where electricity is employed as an actuating or controlling agent the apparatus maybe arranged for operation'either on open or closed circuits.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view with parts in perspective. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of a tabulating machine equipped with my describing my -invention, but without intending to limit my invention thereto, the index-point positions, as shown 1n Fig. 5, are denoted by printed figures arranged in groups, each group consisting of one or more columns of figures comprising the nine digits and the cipher substantially as shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 7 77 ,209, with the cipher at the top of each column in horizontal alinement and the digits following in order down each column to the figure 9. To secure brevity in this description I have shown only two groups, one consisting of three columns of index-point positions, andthe other of four'columns of index-point positions, but in actual practice the. recordcard may contain several difi'erent groups, but this theoretical form of record will enable the principle of operation of my present invention to be readily understood. Following out this plan of illustrating my invention I have conventionally shown in Fig. 2, two registers 1 and 2, the former being controlled by the index-point positions in group 3 of the recordcards, and the latter by the index-point positions in group 4; of the record-cards. Of course there maybe any desired number of registers, each being controlled by the index-point positions in its respective group of the record-cards.

The invention will be readily understood if the index-point positions in group 3 are considered as representing account numbers, and the index-point positions in group 4 as representing the amount chargeable to such account. Assuming that the recordcards of a given account number have been sorted, and it is desired to 'totalize the record represented by the index-point positions in the amount groups of the several cards, the register 1 will be operated when the first card of a series is in control, and so also will the register 2 be operated if that card contains index-point positions in the respective group."

According to my present invention, the register 1 is normally disconnected, but at some point during the first revolution of the apparatus a circuit through this register is closed, and during the second revolution of the apparatus, or exactly one cycle later than. the point in the first revolution at which it was closed, this circuit is again opened. Or in other words, the circuit is held closed during the time the index-point positions of a single card are passing through the circuit-controlling position. In consequence, the register 1 is under electrical control for only suflicient time to allow it to be actuated by the respective indexpoint positions of the first card, and is immediately rendered inoperative before the respective index-point positions of the next suclceeding card come into position to contIO 1 The different series of record -cards, stacked together ready to be fed to the apparatus,.are separated by stop-cards; Such a stop-card is shown in Fig. 6, and the only index-point positions thereon correspond to those of the selected series, namely, in the illustration employed, the respective ac count number. These' stop-cards difler from the record-cards also in that while the latter, as pointed out in my U.-S. Letters Patent No. 945,236, 'maintain'the circuit, or allow it to be maintained, the stopcards when brought into control-position allow the machine to automatically stop. The record -'cards'- when in control-position actuate a contact to maintain the circuit. The stop-cards when in control-posi-;-

cross-head 10, and by feed rollers 12. As

the feeding-mechanism shown is substantially similar to that described in my U. S.

Letters Patent No. 945,236, further description is unnecessary. The conducting brushes are normally in contact with plates 15, insu lated from each other, but the brushes and their contact plates are separated when a card is fed down between them. The plates 15 are electrically connected each with one of the indicators of the registers. The conducting brushes 17, 18 and 19 are controlled by the index-point positions of the account group, and the brushes 20, 21, 22 and 23 by the index-point posltions of the amount group. Each bruslr and its respective plate 15 form a pair of electrical contacts, which are actuated or permitted to come together and move apart, by the record. When a card is fed down between the brushes and the contact plates 15 the index-point positions of each column, each of which represents a. different characteristic or amount, are presented successively to the brushes or record-actuated devices, and when the punched hole in a column registers with the brush of that column, the brush will contact with its complementary member, and an electrical contact will be momentarily established and the corresponding indicator & of the respective register will be operated in the manner well-known according to the Hollerith system.

The register 1 is, as before stated, normally disconnected,- but during the first revolution of the apparatus the circuit through this register. is closed and is again opened during the second revolution. For

accomplishing this\purpose various means may be employed. According to that shown, a circuit controller 25 is located within the circuit of this register, and. it

comprises two electrically-connected springcontact arms 26 and 27, which normally are in engagement with two During the first revolution of the apparatus, one of these arms 26, 27 will be released ,and close the circuit through one of two contacts contacts 28 and 29.

30, and during the next revolution the other contact arm will be released and engage the other of the contacts 30, thus completely opening the circuit of the register controlled by the index-point positions of the ac.- count group. lhe circuit-controller 25 of register 1, cannot be restored to its normal position untilthe indicators of both registers are returned to zero. The twocontact arms 26 and 27 are moved into engagement with contacts 28 and 29 by two spring-held arms 31 carrying blocks 32 of insulation, which arms are ,moved in opposition to their springs 33 by a link 34 carrying a latorally-projecting stud 35 and connected to an arm 36 of a shaft 37 on the outer end of which is a cam arm 38, which latter is designed to be engaged by a stud 39 carried by I the .resetting lever 40 of the registers. A spring 41 holds the resetting parts of the controller in their normal positions. When the contact arms 26 and 27 are reset theyare engaged and held by the hooked ends of two pivoted trips 42 from which extend arms which lie in the path of two diametrically-disposed studs 43 carried by a shaft 44,-which by suitable reducing gearing, actuated preferably by the main operating shaft 45, is revolved at half speed, that is'to say, the shaft 44 is given a half revolution in each cycle of operation. In this half revolution, one of the trips 42 is actuated to release its respective contact arm, 26 or 27, and close the circuit through register'l, and

during the passage of the next card the other trip is actuated to release the other contact arm and completely open the circuit,

thereby cutting out' the register 1 after it has been actuated by the respective indexpoint positions, of the first card, be it a record-card or a stop-card. The closing of.

the circuit through the register 1 always occurs before any of the index-point positions of a card come into position to effectactuation through the record-controlled devices.

Any desired ,form of registering apparatus embodying directly actuated indicating meinbers withmeans for carrying'or transferring from one member 'to that of the next higher order, accumulating members and zero. resettin devices may be employed, and I have there ore not considered it necessary to illustrate or describe the same in detail since their construction and operation are well understood in the art. The circuit controller is preferably located at one side of the registers, and is shown as being inclosed by a casing 50. The electric circuit will be readily understood from Fig. 1. It comprises a motor, suitable magnets andrelays and also starting and stopping contacts 51 and 52.

While for the purpose of illustrating and clearly describing my invention, I have selected certain specific means and forms of apparatus in which it is embodied,it is to be understood that the same may be modified in many respects without departing from the principle or spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus of the character. de scribed, the combination with a record card havingindex-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, and meansfor automatically throwing one register out of operation after the firstcycle of operation.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record card having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, one of which is normally inoperative, means for throwing such latter register into operation at the beginning of' a cycle of operation of the apparatus, and means for throwing such register out of operation at the end of that cycle.

3. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record card having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operating circuit, one of said registers being. normally disconnected from said circuit, and means for automatically throwing such latter register into circuit during a cycle of operation, and then disconnecting such register from such circuit. I

4. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record-card having index-point positions, of two recordac'tuated registers, an operating circuit, one of said registers being normally disconnected from said circuit, and means for automatically throwing such latter register into and out of circuit while the other register remains in circuit.

5. In apparatus of the character. de-

scribed, the combination with a record-card having index-point positions, of two reco-rd- 6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with record-cards having lndex-pomt positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operating circuit, one

of said registers being normally disconnected from said circuit, and means for autoinatically throwing such latter register intocircuit when a record-card comes into operativeposition, and then-disconnecting such register from such circuit after such record card leaves its operative position while the other register remains in circuit, subject to control by succeeding record-cards.

actuated registers, an operating circuit, and

' inoperative at a predetermined point in the scribed, the combination with a series of record-cards having each index-point posiand then inoperative after such record-card point positions, of two record-actuated ord-cardof each'series leaves its operative 7. In apparatus of -the character described, the combination with a record-card having index-point positions, of two recordmeans for automatically throwing one of said registers out of circuit at a predetermined point in a cycle of operation.

- 8. In apparatusofthe character described, the combination with a series of record-cards having each index-point positions, of two record-actuated registers, and means for rendering one of the registers cycle of operation.

9. In apparatus of the character derecord-cards havin each index-point positions, of two recor -actuated registers, and means for renderingone of the registers inoperative .after the first record card leaves its operative position.

10. In apparatus of the character de-' scribed, the" combination with 'a series of tionsarranged in groups, of two recordactuated registers, each controlled by the index-point positions of one group, and means for rendering one of the recordactuated registers first operative when a record-card comes into operative position leaves its operative position.

11. In apparatus of the characterdescribed, the combination with a series of record-cards having each index-point posi tions arranged in groups, of two recordactuated registers, each controlled by the index-point positions of one group, an operatmgcircuit, and means for automatically cutting out the register actuated by the index-polnts in one of the groups without interfering with the other register.

12. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with record-cards arranged in series-and having each indexregisters, means -for automatically rendering one register inoperative after the first recposition, and means operable as each series of record-cards is exhausted for stopping the apparatus.

13. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with record-cards arranged in series and having each index point positions, of two record-a'ctuated registers, one of which is normally discon: nected, means for connecting suchlatter register when the first record-card comes into operative position, means for agm disconnecting such register after the st rec-j,

ord-card leaves its operative-position, and Q cards is exhausted for stopping the appa- I respective register into operation and then out of operation after such record-card leaves its operative position.

15. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with record-cards having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operating circuit, a circuit-controller for one of said registers, means for automatically actuating said circuit-controller, when the first record-card comes into operative position, to throw its respective register into operation and then out of operation after such record-card leaves its operative position, and means for restoring the circuit-controller to its normal position in resetting the registers.

16. ,In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record-card having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operating circult, a circuit-controller for one of said registers, comprising two contacts, and means for successively actuating said contacts to throw such register into operation during the first cycle of operation and out of operation on the next cycle of operation. I

17. Iii "apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record-card having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operating circult, a circuit-controller: for one of said registers, comprising two-contacts, means for successively tripping saidcontacts to throw such register into. and out of operation, and means for resetting said circuit-controller.

18. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a record card having index-point positions, of two recordactuated registers, an operatin circuit, a circuit-controller for one of said registers, comprising two contacts, means for succes; sively tripping said contacts to throw such register into and out of operation, and.

means for resetting said. circuitcontroller ing witnesses.

means operable as each series of record-1' HERMAN HOLLERITH.

I, p .4 J. No'rAMCGILL, I FRANcIs S. MAGUIRE. v, 

